CBC listeners and viewers (Canadian citizens) would be able to nominate for discussion (by phone, online; all the time) issues that are important to them or worry them most. All citizens would then be able to rate (again by phone, online; all the time) the importance to them of all issues nominated in such a way. The issues would be ordered according to their current average rating, and dealt with in this order (when there is an opening to process another issue, the one that has the largest support at that time would be dealt with next). CBC would strive to have panels of experts and/or concerned citizens discuss each issue and all their possible implications for a certain period of time on the radio and TV. This would be a great educational process to all, and would help us collectively make well-informed decisions. If a votable proposal emerges from these discussions (to approve/disapprove a solution, or to chose from several possible solutions), it can be then put to vote to listeners/viewers/citizens. The results of such votes would over time create a database of citizen positions that could not be easily disregarded by politicians (at least they would have to pay some attention to them; the weight of each position could be determined by how many people participated in discussion and voting on them; the results of votes could be further verified by scientific random polls).
Until one can ensure that each Canadian registered voter has strictly only one user account (one voice) in any online voting, the results of such votings will be in doubt. In this new project proposed above you should strive to ensure this. It might be better to use your own technology than to rely heavily on third parties such as Facebook. There are already other systems available that could serve as examples, or be even adopted for this purpose (one would only have to add the on-air panel discussions, and more secure user registration), for example enitiatives.ca or myverdict.net.
Before the time arrives when for example Elections Canada will issue unique digital signatures for Internet voting to all registered voters, it would be important to ensure a sufficient security of the software used by the future CBC democracy-building projects that the participants would not be afraid to use their SIN or other such unique personal identification for registration with these projects. It would also be important to prevent the misuse of somebody else’s SIN: a way must be found in the registration process to contact the holder of the SIN and get a confirmation from her/him that it was really them who initiated the registration. These security features can be added and tested in steps: it is important to continue with these democracy-improving projects as soon as possible, even in the present imperfect form using Facebook for participant registration, issue nomination and rating and for the votings. But until they are fully in place, the results of votings will not be considered credible by a lot of people.
Miroslav Kolar
[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on July 3, 2007]
Note: Mike Wise Great Canadia...
enitiatives.ca
myverdict.net
Miroslav Kolar
Stumble It!
The world does not work nor conform to the marrow template of idealism...it is, in fact quite cruel and rife with predators who seem to aspire to the leadership class...their art is subverting an existing moral social order for their own gain and controlling dissent....it is the way of the world...our 2 hundred year old republican/parliamentary democracies have been subverted through years of political intrigue into a new form of top-down statism in which we elect an new dictator and cabal every 4 years.
In that respect seeking "democracy" is a silly notion as long as the majority can be manipulated by their political manipulators.
Democracy is simply 2 wolves and a chicken voting on what to have for supper...it is ordered mob rule...it is an enforced tyranny of majority....Russia, Cuba and China have "democracies"
What is needed to protect the minority and empower the individual against any cartel who may rise to power through the democracy them fold it into a dictatorship, id a constitution which limits the power of the government and protects the individual from both the state and the majority...it delineates unforfeitable individual rights and forges a social contract between citizens and their government where both and all are equal under law.
Unfortunately Canada does not have such a constitution...we were treated as subjects and "issued" a charter that essentially states all our rights are privileges that can be truncated at the whim of our unaccountable, untouchable "superiors" in the ruling jurocracy...if further entrenches a collectivist entitlement system for "groups" but in essence has devolved the political and legal power of the individual to be subject to truncation...these are civil rights which he enjoyed as inalienable rights under common law convention prior to 1982.
Further to the Canadian search for equitable top-up constituted democracy, it is fair to say ( from any cursory glance at the historic record) that traitors to Canadian democratic reforms abound in the ranks and leadership of all parties and the media (including CBC which is a prime offender as a state organ).
Going to the CBC to ask for the promotion of a populist accountable democracy is like sheep going to the farmer to complain about the morality of eating mutton as the butcher's truck is driving up the farmer's lane way.
Democratic reform in this nation must come from the grass roots and be free of partisan myopia...the current political and media establishment have no vested interest in disempowering the entrenched ruling elite to empower the individual.